The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner comprising a suction inlet, a dirt collection container, a filter device, a suction conduit, a suction unit, wherein the dirt collection container is in flow communication with the suction unit via the filter device and the suction conduit and wherein the filter device has a negative pressure applied to it by the suction unit, and comprising an external air valve device, wherein the filter device is capable of having external air applied thereto on the clean side thereof via the external air valve device and wherein for cleaning the filter device the external air valve device is capable of being brought from a closed valve position to an open valve position and back again from the open valve position to a closed valve position.
The invention further relates to a method for cleaning a filter of a vacuum cleaner in which for cleaning the filter external air is applied to the filter on the clean side thereof via an external air valve device, wherein in the external air valve device a closed valve position is changed to an open valve position for filter cleaning.